British and German warplanes intercept Russian jets in tense encounter
British and German warplanes have intercepted two Russian jets and a spy plane over the Baltic Sea.
Germany and Britain sent Eurofighter jets to identify the two Sukhoi Su-27 fighter aircraft and one Ilyushin Il-20 aircraft, the German air force said on Twitter.
The air force said: ‘Reconnaissance flights intercepted. German and British Eurofighters were alerted to identify three military aircraft.
‘The two SU-27 Flankers and a IL-20 from Russia were flying again without transponder signals in international airspace over the Baltic Sea.’
Germany handed over responsibility for NATO’s Baltic air policing mission to Britain earlier this month.
NATO allies pitch in to protect the air space there because Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia do not have their own fighter jets.
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